MET GALA 2014 Fashion

AAAAAAHHHHHHH THE MET GALA 2014 HAD JUST HAPPENED!

Okay I gotta calm myself. BUT THE PRETTY DRESSES! But honestly I can't really see the connection between the dresses and this year's Met Gala theme, America's best-known couturier (reffering to Charles James). Of course, most of the dresses came from couture collections, but aren't all the other dresses worn to other parties are also couture?

With no further ado, I'm gonna be showing you pictures depicting glamour and elegance and beauty and everything that can make anyone drool. I swear, I want almost every single dress worn to that ball. Pictures will be shown along with the reviews. The reviews will be quite brief ;)

Bee Shaffer in Alexander McQueen. The lovely baby blue satin dress hugged her curves perfectly, and the lining had done nothing but compliment them even more. Her jewelry spiced up her look beautifully.

Beyonce in Givenchy. Damn do I love that make up! The low cut, the intricate beads, the translucent outer coat; gorgeous. The see-through overcoat also made her legs look even sexier.

Leighton Meester in Emilio Pucci. I loved the delicate pattern on the dress, it kinda gave me a feel of ancient Egypt. But I think it would've done her good if she wore extra jewelry.

Emma Stone in Thakoon. It looked so playful, yet still showed Emma's maturity. Best feature: the high cut, hot pink skirt.

Florence Welch in Valentino. GET ME THE BUTTERFLY-PATTERNED COAT RIGHT NOW! Seriously it's so gorgeous I can't even. The dress beneath, in my opinion, should've been of a different color. Pastel pink, perhaps? 

Charlize Theron in Dior. The cape made her look like a super tough lady queen (Snow White & The Huntsman reference, ehem). Black and white stripes? Super classy. Maybe adding a bit more black will make this dress even classier.

Blake Lively in Gucci, also with a cape. The shine of the dress coming from the threads quadrupled it's elegance.

Chloe Moretz in Chanel Haute Couture. This dress is absolutely adorable. The frills, the belt, the beads on the pattern of the shirt, the black tie? FLAWLESS. It suited her age.

 Sarah Jessica Parker in Oscar de La Renta. I disliked the gown in overall. I thought the skirt was too puffy for my liking. Sorry, but you're not going to a princess ball, SJP.

 Lupita Nyong'o in Prada. Really, Lupita? People were wearing ballgowns and she wore a net studded with greens? I liked the jungle-look, but I just didn't think that this is appropriate for something like the Met Gala.

 Jessica Pare in Michael Kors. Classy.

Rihanna in Stella McCartney. Rebellious and elegant at all once.

 Naomi Watts in Givenchy. I loved the ombre and again, the translucency of the dress.

 Dita von Teese in Zac Posen. I understand you're trying to look like a mermaid Dita, but it just made you look like a girl whose legs were studded with origami.

 Coco Brandolini in Dolce&Gabbana Alta Moda. I just love paintings on gowns.

 Georgia May Jagger in Thierry Muggler. One word: SEXY. The strings seemed to be the only material holding both sides of the dress, radiating an aura of seduction.

Dakota Johnson in Jason Wu. I love midnight blue and the long gloves. She reminded me of a more sensual version of Cinderella.

Suki Waterhouse in Burberry. Frills, frills, frills! Pastel, pastel, pastel! Despite only having one color, this dress is so alluring and has this romantic feel to it. And her make up? Bold. Ultimate favorite look of all.

So there goes my reviews! Hope you enjoyed them, and have a good night ;)

Akane at Crowne Plaza

In a desperate search for authentic Japanese food (since my past favorite restaurant had closed down), my mom came across this restaurant, Akane. Apparently Akane is located in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, just right next to my mom's office. Coincidence coincidence, eh?

Anyways, let's take a look at the restaurant entrance.

The most gorgeous bit from the entire restaurant's interior:

On to the food! So before we start reviewing, I am going to tell you some details. I ordered the lunch set special, priced at Rp. 89k. This lunch set includes one starter, choices of various dishes for the main course, and dessert. It's a pretty good deal, in my opinion. Just like what the name had stated, this deal is only available at lunchtime, 7 days a week.

First, the starter...

 Chawan Mushi (included in the Lunch Set Special)

Placed in an adorable, mini (but not too mini) greenish-brown, clay bowl, this Chawan Mushi is smooth and light. With seasonings that did not overpower the texture and taste of the egg, in addition to the smoky scent of the shitake mushroom, it is a starter that can really enhance your appetite.

Next, the main course..

 Main Course (included in the Lunch Set Special)

So for the main course, we get to pick three choices of dishes ranging from meat, vegetables, tofu, even street snacks like takoyaki! You also get to choose your carbohydrate. Choices include california rolls and rice topped with various ingredients. For my dishes I picked agedashi tofu (top left), beef steak (bottom left) and salmon sashimi (bottom middle). For the carbohydrate I chose rice topped with miso paste, shitake mushrooms and preserved vegetables (top right). Pickled vegetables, a plate of potato salad and a bowl of clear soup with shredded chicken were also given as complements. This is going to be a lengthy review, recounting the number of components present in the main course but oh well. Here goes.

1. Agedashi Tofu - Unlike any other agedashi tofus I've ever tasted, the white tofu inside the coat has a taste! the shoyu seeps inside the tofu, and well, it's a plus point.

2. Beef Steak - Not as tender as I expected it to be, but it is still very enjoyable. The marinade really worked it's way to the beef. I recommend choosing this.

3. Salmon Sashimi - Holy moly! Those are thick slices of absolute freshness!

4. Potato Salad - Light and creamy at the same time, with huge accents of tangy.

5. Miso Rice with Shitake and Preserved Greens - Best bit from the main course. Generous in the miso paste, it complements perfectly with the salty and smoky shitake mushrooms and preserved greens. I could eat this dish alone, if I had to.

Another one of the main course..

Mix Kamameshi, Rp. 110k

This dish is not included in the lunch set specials, but it comes with a plate of salmon, tuna and yellow tail sashimi. The kamameshi is uh-may-zing! Every grain of rice was coated with tasty sauce, which I suspect to be composed of broth. Just to make this even better, the kamameshi was topped with chunks scallops, shrimps, salmon, fishballs, chicken and shitake mushrooms. The sashimi platter was also fresh, it can please the tongue of anyone who's a fan of sashimi. Highly recommended. 

Lastly, dessert!

Coffee Jelly and Cream (included in the Lunch Special Set)

When they said it's a coffee jelly, they meant it! It's not at all sweet, but it's not too bitter either. Adding the cream on top softened the bitterness though, and it reminded me of regular coffee (caffè

 americano and a creamer, does that ring a bell?). The jelly had a nice texture too.

Oh yeah, ocha was served without charge! Now, with a deal as awesome as the Lunch Special and free-flow green tea without charge, who can say no to this place? Here's a pic of the green tea:

Why is it so green? It's because they use actual matcha powder for every glass of green tea! The refill, however, did not contain too much of the powder.

All in all, I rate Akane 4 stars out of 5. Good food, affordable price and great deals - I'd be stoned if I gave it any stars fewer. Go check out this place, it's perfect for those who holds fondness of traditional Japanese cuisine. I must warn you though, their service isn't the best and you might have to wait in line, but it's all worth it ;) 

Akane

Crowne Plaza Hotel, Level 1

Jl. Gatot Subroto Kav. 2-3

Jakarta Selatan

Cacaote at Senopati

This Saturday night I begged my mom and dad to take me to this super trending spot in Jakarta, Cacaote. Located at Senopati; where all the cool eateries are; this French-themed restaurant invites passer-bys with their incredibly appealing exterior. Take a look:

 A zoom in of the logo just because it's so pretty.

Unfortunately, I didn't take too many pictures of the interior, but I can assure you that it's pleasing to the eye. The designer deserves tons of praises. However, I must admit that the exterior is more impressive than the interior.

The desserts!

 Below are my mom and dad. First picture shows the a part of the first floor, second shows the part on the second floor behind our dining table.

ON TO THE FOOD! Beforehand, I apologize for the not-so-decent photos. I had forgotten to bring my camera and had to rely solely on my Iphone.

Seafood Pot Pie, Rp.100k.

To be honest, I was very disappointed with this dish. The menu had listed the contents of the pie, which are green peas, red snapper, white clams and baby lobster chunks. After I made my order, a waiter came up to our table to inform us that the white clams weren't available. I ordered it anyway, hoping that the chefs might just add an extra portion of the other meats. When the dish arrived, I dove right into it and found that there were a lot of snapper chunks and green peas, but only one chunk of the baby lobster. In addition, I had spotted some of the snapper chunks that still have bones attached to them. Only to make matters worse, the overall taste of the dish was bland - the mashed potatoes and meats inside seemed unseasoned. The salad was crisp, and lemon dressing was marvelous, although I think adding some more would make the salad even better.

Linguine Aglio e Olio with Baby Lobster, Rp. 135k

The pasta was so much better than the pot pie. The linguine was cooked al dente, the baby lobster was juicy and well-cooked, and the amount of salt and pepper added was right. The dish wasn't dry either - juices were seen underneath the pasta.

I actually ordered the Lobster Mac and Cheese too, but I didn't take a shot worth posting, so I'll just comment without the picture. The cheeses used were guyere and emmental (if I recall correctly), which contributed greatly to the overall taste of the dish. The baby lobster chunks were also far more numerous than in the pot pie. Just like the linguine pasta, the macaroni was also cooked al dente and the seasoning was perfectly balanced. A choice of french fries or green salad is available as a side. This dish costs Rp. 120k.

We're getting to the part where most peeps have been waiting for - DESSERTS!

The first dessert is....

Dark Chocolate and Popcorn, Rp. 45k

This is Cacaote's infamous ultimate favorite dessert of all time. This is basically a dark chocolate mousse with a chocolate cake as a base, covered in dark chocolate ganache (sprinkled with edible gold dust, mind you). It tastes amaze-balls. It was not too sweet, just like what it should be. The mousse was thick yet smooth, and having only one bite is not enough. However, there's one downside in this dessert; the chopped popcorn on the foot of the cake. As this cake was put inside a chilled display, the popcorn have lost their crunch and become rather soggy. There is no particular taste on the popcorn either.

A peek on what's inside:

Second dessert for the night...

Berry Eclair, Rp. 35k

I must start by saying that I LOVE the buttercream on top. The buttercream was deeply infused with the berries (which I suspect to be a combination of strawberries and raspberries, with a greater proportion of the strawberries). The buttercream was also chilled and very light on the tongue; leaving no traces of excessive oil to the mouth. The eclair is good, even if the eclair did not follow the texture of a regular choux - it tastes more like a kouign amann. I made the latter statement due to the fact that the eclair was crusty on the exterior, unlike choux which is supposed to be soft even on the outside. The berry filling on the inside is also in equilibrium in the sense of sweetness and sourness. The eclair was topped with berry and marshmallow pieces.

I also ordered the White Tea, in which I am not going to review because I am not an expert in tea tasting. Nevertheless, I'm going to post a picture just to show you how pretty the china looked.

The tea costed Rp. 40k

I am going to rate Cacaote 3 stars. Now don't show me that gasping faces - I rated Cacaote moderately low because I am heavily disappointed on the main course, especially the Seafood Pot Pie. The desserts also qualify as delicious treats, but I have tried better ones. Also, the price of the main course was very pricy, considering the taste which is not spectacular. I have indulged in cuisines with similar prices that are far more tasty than those. I would be revisiting, but I would only be back for the dessert.

Cacaote

Jl. Senopati Raya No. 80

Jakarta Selatan 

12190

Chanel Cruise 2014 Bags Collection

Chanel had released their Cruise 2014 collection, and I can't help but clap my hands in joy when I heard so. Chanel's Cruise collections have always been my favourite among the others, and it's mainly because the Cruise collection are mainly dominated by light, playful, pastel colours with gorgeously girly but adult-appropriate designs, and don't even get me started on the blue stripes and red linings! Navy blue and bright red are a couple matched by heaven.

So let's take a look at the pictures, shall we?

The Perfume Bag is my absolute favourite piece from this collection. Now I know what love at first sight feels like.

 This bag is incredibly similar to Karl Lagerfeld's Quilted Leather Shoulder Bag. It's no mystery, really - Karl is still Chanel's main designer.

 Back to the Chanel bags, shall we?

 The gold Chanel emblem on the handle? Beautiful.

 The Jersey and Lambskin Camera Case. Can we take a moment to admire the navy blue stripes?

The bag is awfully shaped like a picnic basket.

The Embroidered Accordion Bag. Classically black and white, this bag portrays both elegance and youth. Lovely.

NOW ON TO THE FLAP BAGS!

First up, the Red-Striped Flap Bag with Pearls.

I think it would look a lot better if the bag had more than one colour. But adding the pearls stepped up the bag to a whole new level of desirable.

 The Back-striped Flap Bag, also with pearl-studded chains. I prefer this over the red one.

 Jersey and Lamb Skin Flap Bag. This is so unique, but the lamb skin shouldn't have covered the whole bag that much. The bag is also available in black stripes and navy blue lamb skin.

 Herrington Quilting Lambskin Flap Bag. If you pay close attention, the colour isn't purely white; it's a very light shade of peach. Suitable for casual and semi-formal occasions. I am drooling so badly.

 Embroidered Flap Bag with Sequins and Pearls. It looks a little ethnic and vibrant. I am in this era where I dress a lot like a hippie, so I need this bag so very badly.

The Felt Flap Bag. Words can't describe how perfect the turquoise matches with the slight glitter. There's nothing better than shiny, turquoise Chanel Flap Bags, right?

My overall opinion of Chanel's Cruise 2014 Bag Collection is highly positive. From a young age, I've known that Chanel is the designer label that suits my style the most. Chanel made their designs innocently feminine, and while other designers failed combining contemporary sweetness with classic elegance, Chanel prevails. Not only succeeding in creating an embodiment of two different concepts, Chanel were also able to sneak in  character in their bags. Wearers can then make bold statements based on what they wear.

So, there's my review. Some of you may share the same opinions, some may not, and either way, thank you for reading my blog. Have a good night :)